Editor:
On Sunday, Oct. 20, I took a walk along the promenade with my little dog, the first time I have been able to do so since getting my first dog in 1999, although I had done the walk for several years previously.
I would not choose to take him to the promenade on a beautiful day. It would not be fun for him when it was very crowded with people. However, that day it was raining quite hard and was very quiet.
In fact, most of the people I saw were dog walkers. We have to get them out, rain or shine. Despite the rain, several people stopped to ask me about my dog (he is a beautiful fox terrier). We chatted. It was nice.
I realize that opening the promenade in this way has been a very controversial issue with much opposition. Recently in your paper I even read of a person who was taking pictures and documenting misdemeanors by dog owners. Obviously this gentleman has a lot of time on his hands so I would hope that he, or someone else, is taking equal time to photograph and document all the well-behaved dogs that go by on leash without causing any problems. It would be valuable data. That’s how it was Oct. 20. It was a terrible day, but people with their dogs on leash were enjoying it as much as possible without bothering anyone.
There is a lot of talk about inclusiveness in our community and I’m very happy, after waiting 20 years, that I and my dog can now be included with other locals and visitors who enjoy the promenade.
Ann Harris, Surrey
